BLR News

4/26/2006

U.S. Companies Will Feel the Sting of European Environmental Laws

April 26, 2006 – The United States has ceded its position at the forefront of global environmental regulation, potentially leaving U.S. companies at the mercy of overseas regulators. According to a new feature article available from Enviro.BLR.com, compliance with U.S. environmental rules is no longer enough in the global marketplace.

Directives from the European Union are forcing American businesses operating in the 25 member states to address requirements that are stricter than U.S. regulations. A sampling of EU directives includes:

End-of-Life-Vehicles Directive, which makes vehicle producers financially responsible for the reuse, recycling, recovery, and treatment of their products,

Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive, which requires producers to take responsibility for their products and to meet given recycling targets. The directive requires documented proof of compliance for each product and detachable accessory, including detachable power cords, and

Restriction of Use of Certain Hazardous Substances Directive, which is intended to restrict the use of certain hazardous substances in the manufacturing process of waste electrical and electronic equipment.

You Aren’t Global? You Could Still Be Affected
Companies that don’t engage in global commerce aren’t immune from foreign environmental rules. Some requirements target the supply chains that sell internationally. And some experts think that an impending EU chemical law could potentially force some substances off the market, forcing domestic businesses that use them to find replacements.

“Large firms have been dealing with global regulatory issues for some time now,” said Steve Quilliam, managing editor of Enviro.BLR.com. “While it is still most important for smaller domestic companies to focus on compliance with federal and state requirements, they would be prudent to have some awareness of what’s happening internationally to help avoid problems in the increasingly interconnected global economy.”